ISRC Advocacy Update
February 16, 2023
It’s 2023 and both Lexie Caraway and I are ready to re-energize our efforts this year as we have specific AARC outlined goals we want to achieve in 2023
Our AARC PACT 2023 DC trip this year will be LIVE…we’ll be back in Washington DC to meet! Our meeting dates are Sept 25-26th. This is later in the year than we usually meet which gives us more time to prepare.
Our agenda for our 2023 DC PACT is forthcoming from the AARC so we will update the ISRC on that front as soon as we can.
Here are our Goals for 2023!
GOAL # 1 – We need to make sure 100% of our IL Congressional Districts have at least 1 RT constituent as a District Rep (2 RT’s for each Congressional District is preferred)
Although each states AARC Co-Chair(s)will represent all the RT’s in their respective state when they attend their Congressional District mtgs, it makes a difference when their constituent is there to also speak to the issues at hand.
If you are interested in advocating for our profession and our patients, please consider becoming an AARC IL District Rep! We will be meeting remotely at least Quarterly during the year so we can meet each other and talk about issues/activities we are involved in. As we get closer to the 2023 DC PACT Meeting, we’ll communicate more frequently as we solidify our scheduled visits and activities surrounding our Virtual Lobby Campaign 2023! Reach out to either Lexie or myself if you have any questions on the District Rep role.
We are currently getting the list together for which IL Congressional Districts we need coverage for and will post those on the ISRC website under another Advocacy Update so check frequently for those and other updates.
We’ve seen an increase in the actual Congressional Representatives personally attending our meetings which has been very good to see! They WANT to speak to their constituents and that’s who the District Reps are!
GOAL # 2 – We want to increase the # of individual advocates who send emails when we have our Virtual Lobby Campaigns (VLC)
- These AARC Email Campaigns start the week before our PACT Mtgs and may last up to a week or more afterwards. The purpose of our AARC VLC is so that the Congressional Offices will receive emails from their constituents regarding the specific legislation that we are asking them to support by co-sponsoring the legislation.
- We are asking everyone to use the AARC platform to email their Congressional Reps and Senators to ask them to support legislation that affects our profession/patients.
- We are also asking everyone to SPREAD the word to their colleagues and others as the AARC has email templates that are geared toward RT students, other healthcare professionals, patients and caregivers that can be used to write their emails to Congress.
GOAL # 3: WE want to increase IL Congressional Co-sponsorship for specific legislation that we are meeting about and asking for them to support.
GOAL # 4 – We want to organize visits to Congressional District Offices throughout the state before our Fall PACT Mtg
LASTLY, we’d like to make sure everyone is aware that the AARC has organized a Webinar for all AARC Members on Thursday, Feb 23rd at 1PM CT.
You can go to the AARC website (www.aarc.org), click on News, and then click on:
2023 UPDATE; THE NEW US CONGRESS AND IT’S EFFECT ON AARC PRIORITIES
You’ll find the registration link there – YOU MUST register for this webinar to attend.
The webinar agenda includes:
- Introduction and announcement of Workforce Diversity Victory
- Introduction of AARC Government Affairs Committee/Goals
- Overview of the new 118th Congress, Leadership and Priorities
- How AARC priorities will be addressed in the new Congress
- AARC Virtual Lobby Campaign – AARC Fall PACT DC Meeting
- Q&A for all guests
Please continue to check the ISRC website for more Advocacy Updates from your Co-Chairs!
If you have any questions, here is our contact information:
Lisa Zaenger – AARC IL PACT Co-Chair Lexi Caraway – AARC IL PACT Co-Chair
lzang@pelvip.com phillips.lexie@gmail.com